Having driven past the accommodation last year, we decided to book and the whole experience went beyond our expectations. From the genuinely friendly welcome by David the owner to the beautifully appointed room. Not to mention the outdoor restaurant, pool and gardens. The food, wines and service are exceptional, we ate in the restaurant twice both for lunch and dinner in the evening - David and his staff could not have been more professional yet giving very personal and friendly service to all the guests. We cannot recommend La Corte dei Papi more highly it was a truly wonderful experience and we cannot wait to go back.

There are only few - but fine decorated, very elegant historical - rooms in the 500 hundred years old house. The owner - David Papi - satisfies all wishes of the guests. The kitchen is fantastic, a real "houte cuisine" with excellent local specialities. The hotel has excellent wines, I propose to try Brunello, but if somebody can't decide from the extremly big assortment, David will give him the best advises. The hotel is natural, traditional, elegant and free from all artificial-marble, gold plating, etc. We will turn back!!!

I went there with my friend. The place is lovely, just in the surroundings of Cortona. Mr. David was simply fantastic. We spent 3 nights at the maximum level. Really. And the dinner was wonderful.

For an absolutely idyllic stay “Under the Tuscan Sun”, book yourself a room (preferably the junior deluxe suite!) at the Relais La Corte dei Papi just outside of Cortona. The hotel lies in the little hamlet of Pergo just 5 minutes by car from the charming, hilltop town of Cortona, which was one of our favorites among all the Tuscan towns we visited. The hotel sits on a lovely property in the valley below Cortona with Lake Trasimeno in the distance and is a magnificent, fully restored manor house consisting of 6 beautiful rooms/suites, two private cottages, a wonderful restaurant where they offer breakfast daily and dinner in season, and a lovely pool (open in season) with canopied outdoor tables. The property has been in the Papi family since the 17th Century, and they have maintained all the old world charm throughout the Relais combined with all the new and modern conveniences. Our suite, furnished with beautiful antiques and equipped with a Jacuzzi spa shower, a large bedroom and living room with a fireplace, was extremely comfortable and a pleasure to return to each evening after all our Tuscan adventures. The personal service and attention we received from the very handsome and charming owner, David Papi, went beyond all expectations. His pleasant demeanor, extensive knowledge of the area, and his obvious sense of enjoyment in helping his guests have earned him the wonderful reputation he has among travelers and hoteliers alike. He offered us some incredible restaurant recommendations including one very rustic trattoria in the nearby community of Ossaia called "La Tufa", where we had the best pizza we ever had—imagine a very thin-crusted pizza covered with a piquant tomato sauce, porcini mushrooms, buffalo mozzarella, pepperoni and truffles! His other dining suggestions were also outstanding, and you shouldn’t miss La Grotta and La Buccacia, right in the town of Corona. Cortona is a perfect hub for vacationing in Tuscany. It is easily accessible to so many of the other wonderful hilltop towns which you can enjoy by making day trips. David had pre-arranged a private one-day wine- and cheese-tasting tour to Pienza and Montepulciano for us with a wonderful English-speaking guide named Lorenza, and it was worth every penny not to have to plan this on our own! Our tour also included a delightful lunch at an Agriturismo (working farm which is subject to government regulations) where the entire family participates in producing everything they sell or serve in the restaurant or at the farm including their own wine, of course! Other day trips which you could take on your own would be to Florence (which is easily done by train), Siena, and the Chianti region. We were lucky enough to have David draw us a map whenever necessary. While we were there in the dead of winter (mid to end of February), Tuscany is a place you can enjoy any time of year. I would not hesitate to go back there again in the winter as one of the big advantages is that you can avoid the hordes of tourists that are still flocking there despite the strong Euro! It was cold but not freezing, and we had sunshine every day which made the incredible panoramic views from the hilltops even more breathtaking. Our vacation was truly a dream come true, and we will be forever grateful for having chosen the wonderful Relais La Corte dei Papi (www.lacortedeipapi.com) for our stay in Tuscany. Thank you, David!